Improvement in riding-stirrups



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UNITED STATES trice,

ATENT ROBERT N. EAGLE, OF VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN RIDING-STIRRUPS, &C.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT NELSON EAGLE, of the city and county of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have. invented certain new and useful Improvements in Riding-Stirrups and Hoods therefor; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the same, reference being` had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in Which- Figure l is a perspective view of a stirrup illustrating my improved method of shaping or profiling' the upper and lower arms, and the attachment of one or more slips or blocks of metal or other material between the ends of the bow. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section ot the same, illustrating the frame or body of a wood stirrup, the tread and arms of which are of equal or nearly equal thickness; Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating one method of shaping' or profiling the tread of a stirrup, another manner of shaping or proiiling its arms, and the introduction of apertures or cavities in the arms and tread, and the attachment of a strip or strips of wood, in lieu of metal, between the arms, as referred to in the second clause of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a perspective view, looking from the rear, of a stirrup-hood or toc-cap constructed of two thicknesses of material and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a hood or toe-cap illustrating a modification of the outer layer or thickness shown in Fig. 4.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts in the several views.

My presentimprovements consist,iirst,in constructing a stirrup or stirrup-frame of wood, with the arms and tread of equal thickness, for the purposes hereinafter explained second, in theuse, in construction of awood stirrup or stirrap-frame, of one or more slips or blocks of metal or other material-such as hard wood with the grain runnin gcrosswise-applied to or between the ends of the arms to strengthen and prevent splitting; third, in providing a. wood stirrup or stirrup-frame with one or more apertures or cavities in the arms and tread, or partial excavations of the same, for purposes hereinafter explained 5 fourth, in shaping or profiling a stirrup or stirrup-frame of wood by cutting or carving convexities or concavities at the front and rear of its upper and lower arms and tread, as Iand for the purposes hereinafter described; tifth, in thc construction and use of a stirrup-hood or toecap of leather or other material cut into the required sh ape and sewed, cemented, or otherwise secured at the seams, in combination with the proper shape orimpression given by blocks or dies, and with a coating or covering of prepared opaque material-such as indiarubber or japa-n,77 used in the manufacture of patent-leather-to render the surface smooth and impervious to moisture.

In order that others skilled in the art to which my improvements appertain may be enabled to fully understand and use the same, I will proceed to describe their nature and objects.

In the accompanying drawings, AB B may represent a stirrup or stirrup-frame constructed of bent wood, the slab or slip of wood from which it is formed heilig of equal thickness.

K K K represent the metallic slip or block attached to or between the ends of the arms, to strengthen and prevent splitting, and lK K K the slip or block of hard wood with the gra-in running crosswise, pert'ormin g similar functions.

M M and N are apertures or cavities in the arms and tread, or partial excavations of the same.

O O O and O O O/ represent concavilies protilin g the tread and lower and upper arms, and P and P P the convexities used in profiling the tread and lower or upper arms of a stirrup.

It R R are the strip or strips of metal or other material (shown in yellow lines) lining the edges of the frame and apertures or cavities and slots therein, an-d r t r the rivets or tacks which may be used to secure the strips in place.

ln carrying out my presentimprovements I so construct a stirrup or stirrupframe of bent wood that the strip or slab from which it is formed will give to the tread and arms an equal, or what is intended to be an equal, thickness relatively with each other, instead ot' leaving a projection on the inner or upper side of the tread, which isobjectionable, not only for the ease of the rider-s foot, but from the i11- crease of material and labor involved, the wear its edges occasion to the boot-sole, and the tendency it has to weaken theframe, especially at the points where the wood is cut or trimmed away in forming the block or projection referred to.

To prevent splitting, or for the purpose of affording a slay and support to the ends of the aims, I apply between them a slip or block of metal, as shown in Fig. 1, or of hard wood with the grain ruiming crosswise, as shown in Fig. 3, and by using holes in the ends of the bow or in the slip or block of metal, (or hard wood before mentioned,) or in both, if preferred, which are larger in diameter than those ot' the rivets or bolts passing through them, I counteract the effect of any pressure the wood may have in shrinking upon the rivets i or bolts to cause splitting. When wood is ucd, especially as a stay and support to the arms, the slip or block may be of any desired t'lickness and width.

Two examples of the apertures or cavities referred to under the third part of my invention are illustrated in Fig. 3, M M being ap- (rtures in the arms designed to reduce the n eight ot' the frame and impart lightness of agpearance, and N being an aperture in the tread, or partial excavation of the same, designed more especially to cause a depression in its inner or upper sole conformable with the bend or convexity of the foot or boot, and for affording a firmer and easier rest thereto.

In the construction of wood stirrups it has heretofore been customary to impart to the i'ront and rear ofthe frame a tapering form, converging uniformly from the tread upward, whereas in carrying out the fourth part of my invention I cut or carve the front and rear of the upper and lower arms and tread with swells and rounded surfaces of any desired degree of convexity, or curved depressions of any desired degree of concavity, thereby giving to the frame a lighter and neater finish, to the arms and tread a more graceful outline, and providing a stirrup more seemly for civic and city use than the present cumbersome and 'wooden-looking article. In illustration of this part of my invention, Fig. 1 shows one method in which the lower arms may be proled-that is to say, with an inward concavity or depression, O O O, at both front and rear, and for the purpose ofim partin g a corresponding finish, similar scallops, O O O', may be used at the front and rear also of the upper arms, while in Fig. 3 is illustrated another method-that is to say, inward at back, as at O O, and outward at front, as at I P', for shaping or protilin g the arms, and of imparting an outward curve or projection to the front of the tread, as at P, and an inward curve or depression at its rear, as at O, for the objects already explained. The converse as an equivalent to the above modes of profiling or shaping astirrup or stirrupsframe, whether of its tread or upper and lower arms, or either of them, may also be found desirable in practice for ornamental or other purposes.

In Figs. 1 and 2, It R It represent strips of metal or other material used in lining the edges of the arms and tread, and also of the cavities and slots therein, to add strength and durability and to improve the appearance of the article, these strips being especially valuable as applied to the rear edges of the tread for taking the wear of the boot-sole, and to the edges of the slots to counteract the friction of the suspension strap, and also for reducing the wear of the strap itself, the yellow outlines in Fig. 3 illustrating a similar application of metal or other strips for purposes of ornamentation or use.

The strips orlinings referred to may either be secured in place by tacks -or rivets, as shown at r 1' r, or by the edges of the strips being sprung or ybent into grooves cut into the wooden frame along the edges and apertures therein, or by any other suitable means.

My improved hood or toe-cap is illustrated in Fig. 4, J J J being the outer layer or covering of such leather or other material as may be desirable for giving the required surface and nish, and S S S the inner body, which may be of coarser or entirely different material, its office being more especially to impart stiffness and strength and to reduce the cost of the hood.

rlo avoid the expense (particularly when leather is used) of a single piece of material, as described in the construction of hoods for which Letters Patent were granted me July 7, 1863, andA March 21, 1864, I propose under my present improvement to construct the open and closed hood or toe-cap of a stirrup from a scrap of leather or other Amaterial, or from scraps or divers pieces cut and secured together at their edges in any suitable manner-as by stitching, tacking, or cementing--and in sucha way that the hood may be readily brought into its primary shape,

and thereafter given the permanent form over a simple block, in lieu of male and female dies, which are better adapted for bringing` a single or continuous piece of material into shape. A coating or covering of suitably-prepared opaque material-such as india-rubber or japan, used in the manufacture of patent leather, and represented by letters Jl J J in Fig. 5-is then applied to the outer surface for the purpose ot' lling and concealing flaws and seams, and utilizing, especially, inferior or defective pieces of leather, as illustrated at s s s in the same ligure, and rendering the face of the hood smooth, bright, and impervious to moisture.

It will be seen that the coating or superficial covering of opaque material just referred to may be used as a modication, and answers the purpose of the outer layer or covering illustrated at J J J in Fig. 4. The hood or toecap may also have imparted to it any desired device for use or ornamentation, by stamping or embossing, by which, together with the advantages above mentioned, it iS claimed that an article may be produced at once novel and beautiful in appearance, durable, and at a. nearly nominal cost compared with that of any hood of equal utility and appearan ce now or heretofore constructed.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. A stirrup or stirrup-fralne of bent Wood, with arms and tread of equal thickness.

2. One or more slips or blocks, K and K', of

metal or other suitable material, applied to or,

between the upper" ends of thc arms to strengthen the same and prevent splitting, substantially as described.

3. A stirrup or stirrupframe of Wood, with one or more apertures or cavities, M and N, or 

